Method for forming fabrics



March 5, 1935. v KENT 1,993,172

METHOD FOR FORMING FABRICS Filed Aug. 23, 1932 Patented Mar. 5, 1935 UNITED? STATES:

PATENT OFFICE 1,993,172 METHOD FOR I FORMING Fmiujcs Thomas E. Kent, Columbus, Ohio Application August 23, 1932 Serial No. 630,080

7 Claims; (01. 154*2 This invention relates to method and apparatus for producing decorated designs in fabric sheets and an objectof the invention is to provide'improved means for forming the designs by which- 5, means the shaped fabric may be'produced at considerable less expense than has heretofore been possible,v resulting in great saving in the cost of manufacture.

The invention has for its particular use the formation of decorative silk linings for burial caskets and the production thereof with the designs therein formed accurate and uniform, which may be made by the employment of relatively' unskilled labor, if desired. Y I

More specifically, the invention consists of a board or table provided with stationary decorative ridges or strips arranged on edge and over which the fabric to beshaped is placed and pulled down therebetween by similarly shaped strips in dividually positioned between the stationary strips, thereby producing a wavy or crushing effect of the fabric. After the removal of the loose strips, a backing, having an adhesive thereon, is placed over the crushed fabric in contact therewithwhich adhesive when sufficiently dried or set will retain the designs in place and permit the removal of the fabric from the board.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan View of a portion of the apparatus with the fabric sheet in place being crushed;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showing the method of forming the designs in the fabric by placing the loose strips in place;

Fig. 3 is a similar view with the strips removed;

Fig. 4 is also a similar view with the backing in place;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the finished product.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 1 designates the apparatus in its entirety which is formed to include a board or table 2 of suitable dimensions and which may be held supported in an elevated working position in any desired manner. Positioned longitudinally of and arranged edgewise upon the board or table 2 are a plurality of strips 3 which are anchored or secured to the board and spaced from one another a suitable distance, depending largely on the shape and size of the design to be produced. The strips 3 are in this instance shown of a wavy or corrugated formation although it will be understood that certain other shapes could be employed equally as well.

The method of forming the designs in the fabric is substantially asfollows: The fabric which is designated by the numeral 4 and which maybe 5 the silk lining for a casket is placed with the finished side downuponthe stationary strips 3' so as to. rest loosely thereon. Similarly shaped loose strips 5 are then placed edgewise uponthe fabric and between the strips 3,v thereby pulling the silk fabric down and producing the designs or'crushing effect therein. "After the strips 5 have been put in place, one at a time, beginning from one end of-thetable, these strips are then removed'leaving the material in its wavy shape between the fixed strips 3. A backing 6, which has previously been coated with a suitable adhesive forming .the attaching means, is now placed over thecrushed'fabri'c and smoothed down into contact therewith. Several methods'of applying the pasteor adhesive may be employed, however, one method which has given good results is to spread the adhesive on a sheet of glass with a brush or the like to the proper thickness and the backing, which may be a piece of outing flannel, is then placed on the glass and smoothed down'thereover so all parts of the backing will engage the surface of the glass and become coated with the adhesive. The backing is now removed from the glass and placed with the pasted side down on the fabric or silk and smoothed out with the hands so as to cause the backing to adhere to the fabric at points over the strips 3, thus completing the crushing operation. After the adhesive has been partly dried or set, the fabric with its backing thereon may then be removed from the board and be ready for shipment. or use. As the backing is secured to the formed fabric by spaced lines extending its full length, the designs will retain their shapes and be capable of withstanding considerable handling without destruction or distortion.

The method just described for forming the decorative fabric facilitates greatly the manufacture thereof in that the designs therein, instead of being made by a slow and tedious hand operation, are formed quickly and accurately by the simple placing of strips, shaped to produce the design, upon the fabric which has previously cost of forming the fabric in this manner is therefore substantially less than by any other method heretofore known and employed.

Although a particular embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that I do not desire to limit myself to the specific details such as the particular shapes of the strips, the placing and arrangement thereof upon the board and the manner of handling the same, but that I shall be entitledto any such variations that will fall fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of forming decorative fabric which consists in placing a sheet of fabric over a plurality of fixed spaced strips, then positioning loose strips upon the fabric in successive order and between the first-named strips, thereby gathering the fabric and producing the designs therein, and in then applying a backing which has previously been coated with adhesive to said fabric.

2. The method of formingdecorative fabric which consistsin placing a sheet of plain fabric over a plurality of fixed spaced strips, then positioning loose strips upon the fabric in successive order and between the fixed strips, thereby gathering the fabric therebetween, removing said loose strips, and in then applying the backing which has previously been coated with adhesive to said fabric.

3. The method of forming decorative fabrics which consists in placing a sheet of fabric over a plurality of fixed spaced strips shaped to produce designs, then positioning similarly shaped strips upon the fabric in successive order and between said fixed strips, thereby bunching the fabric and producing the designs, removing the loose strips, and in then applying a backing to said fabric by an adhesive.

4. The method of producing a decorative effeet in fabric which comprises placing a sheet of a soft pliable fabric over a plurality of fixed spaced pattern forming elements, loosely positioning the same without stretching between adjacent elements to form the desired effect, and applying a backing which has previously been coated with an adhesive to said fabric to permanently retain the decorative condition thereof.

5. The method of producing, a decorative effect in fabrics of the character employed as a lining for caskets, consisting in placing a sheet of soft pliable fabric over a plurality of fixed spaced pattern forming elements, having tortuous channels formed therebetween, gathering the fabric without stretching the same between adjacent elements to produce the desired design, and then applying to the fabric a backing previously coated with an adhesive to permanently retain the decorative condition thereof.

6. The method of producing a decorative effect in fabrics which comprises placing a sheetof soft pliable fabric over a plurality of rows of fixed spaced pattern forming elements, gathering the fabric without stretching the same between adjacent rows of elements successively row after row, positively retaining the same in the gathered condition until the gathering operation has been completed, removing. said retaining means and applying a backing previously coated with an adhesive thereto to retain said fabric in the gathered condition.

'7. The method of producing a decorative fabric which comprises placing a sheet of soft pliable fabric over a frame having tortuous channels formed therein, gathering the fabric without 

